Gameplay Mechanics

View-Point


View is restricted to flashlight
  • Simulates an actual view from a real person a.k.a First Person View (i.e. when you read a book, your view is largely on the book)
  • Since ghosts can penetrate walls, a frontal view point would mean that the player will have higher risk; resulting in player having to check blindspots (Senses will tingle when ghost are behind player or side)
  • It increases the level of difficulty as players can’t take their time to read informative stuffs (maps, books, etc.) as the game is still on to mimic realism
  • Restricted view to flashlight allows the horror and thriller aspect of the game to clearly be displayed

Equipments > Character Tweaks


There will be no character tweaks
  • Survival of the character will be dependant on the equipments
  • Player has to juggle and manage important equipments/items like batteries and water (batteries: to supply electricity to electrical applies. water: lower heart rate when in shock)
  • Since character can only equip 3 items per hand, it means that the player is limited to the equipments. However, he can change his 3 items when he flares the area or reaches a “safe” room
  • Since some equipments will not be provided on start (i.e. cool gun), but on missions, the player face a higher difficulty on the start compared to the end as he “learns” the game
  • Battery management is very crucial to the player as it is not readily available
  • Holy Water can be both used to kill the ghost and lower down heart rate when in shock.

I don't feel like dying in games anymore?


Instead of having life, we implemented a heart-rate system.
  • This system works like a normal human’s as when your heart rate is over the roofs, you faint and in the game’s context, you “die”
  • Heart rate is affected by number of ghosts scaring you, LOD of ghost scaring you, how long you run/sprint and the mood of the room

Books/Maps


There are manuals on how to operate equipments, haunting ghosts, killing ghosts and etc. It is like a “Help” file which you can only run on game-time.
  • Maps are “self-drawn” (only updated when explored).
  • They are read on run-time when the game is still running. It acts like an equipment but the player need not equip the map&book into his hands.
  • Binded to a key, where the game will pause for a drop list to allow the player to choose the books/map he needs to read.

Flash to chase ghost away


Brief Intro:
  • Ghosts can penetrate through walls
  • Some ghosts can attack you, drastically lowering heart rate
  • Hierarchy-based and categorized by LOD

Flashlight can be used to flash at the ghost for a few seconds to chase it away. This does not kill the ghost but only chase it away and whether it will come back depends on the AI Manager.

Why not Sound?


Providing a sound recorder to the player, we allow the player to record sounds of ghost for data capturing or if smart enough, the player will realise it is also a weapon.

  • Sound are recorded into the sound recorder directly but is restricted to only a few sounds
  • Sounds can be choose from a list similar to the books/maps list and then play-back
  • By recording the correct ghost sound, it can chase or even scare off some of the ghosts (P.S. Chase has a chance for ghost to comeback, scare-off is different [as good as killing])

How do we even know the presence of ghosts?


Fret not, the EMF meter is available to check for ghosts infront of the player or in a room where a ghost is not visible

  • However, this means that you are open to attacks when EMF is reading which takes up a few seconds
  • This is good when you are worried and your equipments are minimal and your batteries are running low.
  • Don’t worry, you can predict the ghosts and try to avoid them if you can.

Walk! Run! Sprint


Sprint is an effective way to get away, but however, it increases the heart rate and allows for a chance to faint even without getting scared by the ghosts.
  • You are in a haunted mansion, when there's nothing and you are in fear, you walk.
  • You meet a ghost, you run.
  • You met an aggressive ghost, you sprint.